Gas prices, once all but guaranteed to hit record highs this summer, are now forecast to keep retreating well into autumn. At the current pace, by Thanksgiving if not sooner the national average should dip under $3 per gallon—roughly $1 cheaper than the 2012 high registered in early April.

Several Southern states are leading the race downward to the $3 marker. As of Friday, the national average stood at $3.45 for a gallon of regular, and Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas were all averaging at or below $3.30 per gallon. South Carolina was cheapest of all ($3.04), with roughly one-third of the state’s gas stations already offering a gallon at a price that starts with a 2.

This year, improving consumer confidence, lower gas prices, and the fact that the Fourth falls on a Wednesday are being cited as reasons why more people are hitting the road. With the official holiday on a Wednesday, travelers have the option of taking a long weekend before or after the Fourth—or just making the whole week a vacation.

Earlier in the spring, when gas prices were higher, a Discover Financial Services survey (covered in a BankRate.com post) noted that 53% of Americans were altering their spending and vacation plans due to the cost of fuel. More recently, though, only 46% of Americans said gas prices were causing them to change summer plans.